Spark plug cleaner



July 5, 1949. M. J. BARKER SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed April 9, 1948 marmdBm/gr. BY

71%a2 /5Mm ATTORNEYS Patented July 5, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT ()FHCE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in spark plug cleaners of the compressed air sand blasting type, the primary object of the invention being to provide a device of this kind characterized by control of the sand supply, protection of the sand supply against contamination by material blasted from the spark plugs during a cleanin operation, elimination of back pressure in the zone of the blast nozzle permitting the used sand to fall for reuse while the material blasted from the spark plug remains suspended and is carried 01f, whereby scattering of sand in the zone of the blast nozzle and escape thereof through openings in the cleaner casing is reduced with consequent less need for replenishing the original sand supply.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a device of the above indicated character which is of simple and relatively inexpensive construction and easily serviced when necessary.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings, wherein, merely for illustrative purposes, a specific embodiment of the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a transverse vertical central section taken through said embodiment,

Figure 2 is a similar View taken at right angles to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal sectional view, and

Figure 4 is a top plan view.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the illustrated spark plug cleaner comprises a cylindrical cas ng 5 whose open upper end is closed by an inverted pan shaped cover 6, formed with a central opening i in which is inset a conventional rubber seal 8 for accommodating the threaded shell portion 9 of a conventional spark plug H1 in a well known manner. One side of the cover 6 is provided with a filling neck ll, normally closed by a cover l2, whereby sand can be introduced into the sand compartment of the device without disturbing the casing cover 5. The bottom l3 of the casing has a central depending drain neck M provided with a cover l5, enabling draining from the casing the sand supply and any accumulation in the casing of material blasted from the spark plugs cleaned therein and not carried out of the casing by air currents.

The interior of the casing 5 has an inverted funnel shaped false bottom It whose open lower end is registered and in communication with the draining neck Id, the slanting and converging sides of the false bottom serving to gravitationally convey all solid particles, including sand and debris accumulating from the sand blasting, toward the drain neck.

The interior of the casing 5 is chordally divided into an intermediate blasting chamber A, a sand supply compartment B on one side thereof, and an exhaust compartment C, by a partition I! secured at its edges to the sidewalls of the casing in a perpendicular position and having an inwardly angulated declining portion l8 on its lower end within and following the contour of the conical false bottom It, as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3, and terminating at its lower end in spaced relation above the lower end of the false bottom, and by partition l9 arranged in perpendicular position and parallel to the partition ll, and secured at its side edges to the sidewall of the casing. the lower end of the partition l9 being straight and on a level with the upper end of the false bottom it, as shown in Figure 1. The casing sidewall is provided with an air outlet in the form of a. relatively large horizontal pipe 2d opening into the upper part of the exhaust compartment C.

The compressed air blast tube 2! is J-shaped, with the upper valved end of its standard portion threaded, as indicated at 22, and passed upwardly through the casing cover ii near one edge thereof and secured by a nut 23 threaded thereon beneath the cover. and a neck Ell above the cover; so as to support the upwardly facing open end of the tube 2! in axially spaced position below the bore 25 of the rubber seal, and the central hole 2] in the conical blast nozzle 2B.

Supportably secured to one side of the open end 25 of the compressed air tube ii is the open upper end of the sand siphon tube 25, to which the nozzle 28 is secured, the siphon tube being straight and perpendicular with its open lower end 30 positioned below the lower end of the baiile portion ill, but above the drain neck M, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

With a quantity of blasting sand 3! in the compartment B, the restricted opening afiorded between the lower end of the baiile portion l3 and the adjacent wall of the conical false bottom it permits only enough sand to build up in the smaller lower end of the false bottom to cover the lower end 30 of the sand siphon tube 2:9 which when reduced is automatically replenished by falling of the body of sand in the compartment B.

In operation, a compressed air hose (not shown) is applied to the valved end 2 of the air tube so that a jet of air is projected upwardly against the spark plug It from the open tube end 25 through the nozzle hole 21. the movement of this air jet in close proximity to the open upper end of the sand siphon tube 29 causes sand to be sucked therethrough from the false bottom Hi and mixed with the air jet in the form of a sand blast for cleaning the spark plug in.

The sand of the sand blast, together with material loosened from the spark plug, falls in the compartment A, without mixing with the sand 3| in the compartment B, and such light weight particles of dirt removed from the spark plug and worn sand as can remain in suspension in air are carried from the blasting chamber A by the air stream therefrom which passes upwardly through-the space between the false bottom l6 and the lower end of the baflle partition I9 into the exhaust compartment C, and out to the outside atmosphere through the exhaust pipe 20. The baflies l1 and. I9, forming the blasting chamber A, obviously prevent the sand from reaching the sand supply in the compartment B, and from reaching the exhaust pipe 20. Because of the presence of the exhaust compartment C, with its relatively large exhaust pipe 20, in indirect but free communication with the blast chamber A substantial back pressure from the blast nozzle cannot build up in the chamber A and scatter sand from the blastin a'manner to contaminate the sand supply and/or escape and be lost through I the air exhaust pipe or the bore 26 of the spark plug seal 8.

A dust collecting bag may be employed on the exhaust pipe 20 and is partly indicated by the character-2n should it be desired to prevent the dust and other foreign matter escaping-from the device entering the atmosphere direct.

What isclaimed:

1. A spark plug cleaner comprising a closed casing having vertical transverse partitions therein defining anintermediate blasting chamber and sand supply and :air exhaust compartments on opposite sides'of saidblasting chamber, opening means at the lower ends of said partitions defining sand restricting means and air passage means whereby a reduced fraction of a body of sand in said sand supply compartment can reach and accumulate on the bottom of said blast chamber and whereby air under pressure in said blasting chamber can escape into said exhaust compartment, a vertical sand siphoning tube in said blasting chamber having its lower end on a level to reach the sand accumulation on the casing bottom, and a compressed air tube opening upwardly along side of the upper end of said sand siphoning tube producinganair jet providing suction to siphon sand upwardly through said siphoning tube to mix with said jet to form a sand blast.

2. A sparkplug cleaner comprising a substantially closed casing having a spark plug accommodating seal in its upper end in which the spark plug can be inserted for exposure within the upper part of said casing, a blast nozzle under said seal comprising an upwardly opening air tube and a sand siphoning tube with its open upper end positioned along side of the open upper end of said air tube and with its open lower end positioned adjacent to the lower end of said casing whereby an air jet risingfrom said air tube draws sand upwardly through said siphoning tube to mix with said jet to form a sand blast, baffles across said casing on opposite sides of said nozzle defining a blasting chamber for said nozzle and an exhaust compartment and a sand supply compartment on opposite sides of said blast chamber, said baflles having their lower endsspaced upwardly from'the lower end of said casing whereby sand in said sand supply compartment can reach the lower end of the casing and air pressure in said blasting chamber produced by said nozzle can escape freely from said blasting chamber, and air exhaust means for said exhaust chamber.

3. A spark plug cleaner comprising a substantially closed casing having a spark plug accommodating seal in its upper end in which the spark plug can be inserted for exposure within the upper part of said casing, a blast nozzle under said seal comprising an upwardly opening air tube and a sand siphoning tube with its open upper end positioned along side of the open upper end of said air tube and with its open lower end positioned adjacent to the lower end of said casing whereby an air jet rising from said air tube draws sand upwardly through said siphoning tube to mix with said jet to form a sand blast, bafiiles across said casing on opposite sides of said nozzle defining a blasting chamber for said nozzle and an exhaust compartment and a sand supply compartment on opposite sides of said blast chamber, said bailles having their lower ends spaced upwardly from the lower end of said casing whereby sand in said sand supply compartment can reach the lower end of the casing and air pressure in said blasting chamber produced by said nozzle can escape freely from said blasting chamber, and air exhaust means for said exhaust chamber, an inverted conical false bottom in the lower end of said easing into which sand from said supply compartment and particles cleaned from a spark plug can deposit and into whose lower end the lower end of said siphoning tube depends.

4. A spark plug cleaner comprising a substantially closed casing having a spark plug accommodating seal in its upper end in which the spark plug can be inserted for exposure within the upper part of said casing, a blast nozzle under said seal comprising an upwardly opening air tube and a sand siphoning tube with its open upper end positioned along side of the open upper end of said air tube and with its open lower end positioned adjacent to the lower end of said casing whereby an air jet rising from said air tube draws sand upwardly through said siphoning tube to mix with said jet to form a sand blast, ballles across said casing on opposite sides of said nozzle defining a blasting chamber for said nozzle and an exhaust compartment and a sand supply compartment on opposite sides of said blast chamber, said baffles having their lower ends spaced upwardly from the lower end of said casing whereby sand in said sand supply compartment can reach the lower end of the casing and air pressure in said blasting chamber produced by said nozzle can escape freely from said blasting chamber, and air exhaust means for said exhaust chamber, an inverted conical false bottom in the lower end of said easing into which sand from said supply compartment and particles cleaned from a spark plug can deposit and into whose lower end the lower end of said siphoning tube depends, the lower end of one of said baffles defining said exhaust compartment terminating at the upper end of said false bottom and the lower end of the remaining baffle having a depending portion extending across said inverted conical false bottom and terminating in relatively closely space relating above the lower end of said false bottom in a manner to provide a restricted opening through which sand from said sand supply compartment can reach and accumulate in the lower end of said false bottom in relatively small volume.

MARTIN JAMES BARKER.

No references cited. 

